Ornament



May 21,V 1940.

W. C. PROTZ ORNAMENT.

Filed Feb. 14, 19:58

Hom m34 Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE National Tinsel Manufacturing Company,

Manitowoc, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 14, 1938, Serial No. 190,506

4 Claims.

ments are formed with irregular peripheries, as

where they are shaped in simulation of stars, the fastening elements are usually applied at widely spaced peripheral portions such as at the apices of the star points.

These ornaments are usually displayed for sale in heaps upon store` counters. Exposed in such manner the ornamentsare often crushed and attened against the counter by pressure of the customers hands or packages, and are otherwise injured by rough handling.

In addition, it has been found that many of these hollow ornaments are crushed during packing and shipping so that packing expenses for these items are ordinarily higher than warranted by the value thereof.

In order to overcome these objectionable features of the prior art it is a major object of my invention to provide a novel ornament which is light, and inexpensive and which is capable of maintaining its shape during shipping operations and when exposed to careless handling by customers.

` A further object of my invention is to provide a novel ornament, made mostly of light bendable material, which is reenforced to withstandexternal pressures due to careless handling, packing and the like.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a novel hollow ornament which is made up of two mated elements of light flexible or bendable material secured together at their peripheries and provided with reenforcing means to prevent collapse of the ornament when subjected to undue lateral pressures. Specifically either or both of the elements is generally cup or dishshaped and is reenforced by a rigid structure interposed between the elements adjacent their most widely spaced portions.

A further object of my invention is to; provide a novel ornament made up of a plurality of sections of bendable material secured together and having internal reenforcing structure distinct from the securing means.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel ornament having internal reenforcing structure secured to one of the surface elements thereof. The reenforcing structure may comprise a block seated upon an interior face of a surface element and may or may not be adhesively secured to that element.

Further objects of my invention will presently appear as the description proceeds in connection with the annexed drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hollow starshaped ornament constructed according to my invention;

Figure 2 is a section taken along line 22 of Figure l and illustrates the central reenforcing block;

Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 2 but illustrating a modification of my invention in which only one of the elements is dish-shaped;

Figure 4 is a front elevation similar to Figure l but illustrating the use of a spherical reenforcing structure; and

Figure 5 is a section taken along line 5-5 in Figure 4.

The invention will now be described as applied to a hollow star-shaped ornament, although it is to be understood that this design has been selected only for purposes of disclosing a preferred embodiment of the invention which is equally applicable to onaments of any desired shape.

With reference to Figures l and 2, the ornament is made up of two star-shaped elements I I and I2 secured together at their peripheries by a suitable fastening means such as hollow rivets i3. The ornament is usually suspended by means of a string passed through hollow rivets I3.

Element II is preferably made of a suitable bendable or flexible material which is normally capable of retaining a given shape such as thin sheet metal, cardboard, Celluloid or the like. The material comprising element II is bent into substantially zig-zag formation by being bent in opposite directions at alternate radial lines I4 and I5 which extend from the center of the star to the points and reentrant portions thereof respectively. The resultant element I I is substantially dish-shaped and its external surface presents a plurality of flat triangular surfaces I6 sloping outwardly and downwardly from its center as shown in Figures l and 2. If desired, element II may be formed in a single stamping operation from sheet material by the use of a suitable die.

Element I2 is preferably a substantial duplicate of element II and the two are secured to gether in opposed relation by the fastening means i3 as described above. Where the ornament is star-shaped, rivets I3 are placed adjacent the apices of the star points. It is sometimes convenient, although not necessary, to flatten each element II and I2 at a small area II along its periphery to aid in assembling the elem-ents and to insure even engagement between the peripheries of the elements.

As shown in Figure 2 a reenforcing member I8, concealed from external View when elements II and I2 are opaque and in any event substantially inaccessible from without the ornament as is evident from the drawing, is interposed between elements II and I2 at their central portions where they are spaced apart most'widely. Member I8 may be any fairly rigid structure such as a block of wood, compressed fiber or the like. The opposite ends of member I8 are preferably in contact with the inner surfaces of elements II and I2 and if desired a suitable adhesive may be used to secure member I8 to either or both of the elements to prevent it from being accidentally displaced.

It will be evident that an ornament, reenforcedk as above described, will resist lateral external forces tending to atten it and will maintain its shape under conditions which would collapse and probably destroy non-reenforced ornaments of the prior art.

The exterior surfaces of elements II and I2 are preferably light-reilecting and may be colored as desired. If sheet metal is used, it may be chromium-plated or coated with a colored lacquer. Other materials may be inherently colored, and all preferably present shiny external surfaces for reecting a maximum amount of light. Furthermore, these external surfaces may be corrugated, embossed or otherwise roughened to gain different lighting elects.

In the modification shown in Figure 3, element n I9, which is substantially the same as element l" -II, is secured to a substantially at element 2I thereof to receive one end of block 22.

and a suitable reenforcing block 22 is interposed therebetween, To aid in retaining block 22 in place element IS is preferably provided with a centrally disposed seat 23 formed internally If desired, adhesive may be used to fix block 22 to either element I9 or 2I.

The modification disclosed in Figures 4 and 5 diners from that of Figures 1 and 2 only in that a substantially spherical reenforcing block 24 is employedr instead of the cylindrical block I8. A distinct advantage in the use of this spherical block cornes during assembly when, because of its spherical shape, it tends to roll to the bottom of the dish-shaped element. A further advantage in the use of a spherical block lies in the increased protection it affords to the bulging central portions of the ornament due to a large area of contact therewith.

The invention may be embodied in other specil-lc forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In an ornament, a pair of substantially opaque elements adapted to be assembled to provide a substantially hollow structure, one of said elements being generally dish-shaped and of such nature and composition as to be capable of selfretention of said shape; means at their peripheries for ysecuring said elements together; and rigid means distinct from said securing means enclosed entirely within said structure between said elements so as to be concealed from external View and adapted to resist external pressure tending to flattensaid structure.

2. In `an ornament, a pair of elements secured together at their peripheries to provide a substantially hollow structure, one of said elements being made of light, bendable material and permanently dish-shaped; a pressure resisting block entirely enclosed within said structure between said elements and normally inaccessible from externally of said structure, said block being adapted to resist lateral pressure tending to flatten said structure and kmeans for positioning said pressure resisting block generally centrally within said structure.

3. In an ornament, a pair of generally dishshaped elements formed of light, bendable material and capable of self-retention of said shape, said elements having substantially identically shaped peripheries; means for securing said elements together in opposed relation at spaced peripheral portions so as to provide a hollow ornament; and rigid means concealed from external view and distinct from said securing means enclosed entirely within said ornament and between said elements for resisting external pressure tending tor collapse said structure.

4. In an ornamental star, a pair of substantially identical dish-shaped elements of light, bendable material having their peripheries formed in simulation of` stars; means adjacent the points of the star elements for securing them together in opposed relation so as to provide a substantially hollow star; and a reinforcing block entirely enclosed within said star and normally inaccessible from without disposed substantially centrally between said elements for resisting lateral pressure tending to flatten said star.

WILLIAM C. PROTZ. 

